Fish stringer holder



1964 w. R. FLATFORD ETAL 3,160,336

FISH STRINGER HOLDER FiledApril 19, 1963 William R F lafford James J. Ryan INVENTORS BY ZWI M United States Patent The present invention relates to an improved holder for a currently usable fish stringer comprising a suitable cord or string of an appropriate length, a ring which is connected to one end of the cord, and a rigid threading point, commonly referred to as a needle, at the other end thereof.

Fish stringers of the character above referred to are illustrated in US. Patents 2,572,653 and 2,588,768, respectively. These patents also illustrate holders for fish stringers such as, broadly construed, would be comparable with the improved holder herein under advisement. However, and with a view toward categorizing the instant invention the reader may, if he so desires, refer to the Stonich fish stringer Patent No. 2,483,072 for the reason that it reveals a bracket-type holder which is germane to the holder which constitutes the subject matter of the present invention.

With the above background information it will doubtless be apparent that an object of the present invention is to structurally, functionally and in other ways improve upon analogous prior art stringer holders and, in doing so, to provide a significantly distinct adaptation which not only better serves the purposes for which it is intended, but will no doubt appeal to manufacturers, retailers and users.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention a bracket-type holder has been adopted. It is such in construction that it can be mounted rigidly but detachably on the inside of the gunwale of a fishing boat at a convenient place, on an acceptable surface on a wharf, dock, raft or other fishing place. As above suggested and as will be hereinafter ascertained the holding bracket is ideally suited to accommodatingly support a fish stringer, particularly one wherein the cord or string is of woven fiber and which lends itself to readily connectible and releasable cooperation with a springy catch provided therefor on the holding bracket.

Briefly the holder is characterized by a base plate constructed for attachment by screws or the like to a fixed support surface. The face of the base or plate is provided with a lengthwise axially bored barrel or sleeve of a length that it provides a sheath which conveniently and protectively sheathes the aforementioned needle. The catch, which is of simple hook-like construction, is mounted atop the plate adjacent the needle inlet end of the bore in said barrel.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a View in perspective showing a fragmentary portion of a support wall (gunwale of a boat or the like) with the stringer holder suitably mounted for use thereon and illustrating how the needle-equipped end of the stringer is accommodatingly but releasably held by the cooperable component parts provided therefor on the holder;

FIGURE 2 is a view on a larger scale observing the holder in a direction from right to left (FIG. 1) and with the stringer appearing in phantom lines;

FIGURE 3 is a side or edge elevational view observing FIG. 2 in a direction from left to right; and

3,160,336 Patented Dec. 8, 1964 FIGURE 4 is an edge or end elevation looking upwardly, for example, from the bottom toward the top of the illustration identified as FIG. 3. I

With reference now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, the numeral 6 designates a relatively stationary support. This support may be any suitable supporting surface on, which the fisherman desires or decides to fixedly and rigidly mount the holder 8. Generally speaking, it can be assumed that the support would be the gunwale or other portion of the boat, a wharf or dock, raft or the like.

The stringer, as stated, is conventional, and is here denoted (FIG. 1) by the numeral 10. The elongated woven fiber or equivalent cord or string 12 is equipped with an eye ring or. the like 14 at one end and with a permanently attached pointed implement, customarily referred to as a needle 16, at the other end. Inasmuch as the combination of a stringer of this type with a holder is apparently old in the art, it will be evident that the concept here is directed primarily to the featured holder 8. Broadly the holder comprises a readily attachable and detachable bracket. More specifically it comprises an elongated generally ovate base plate 18 the rounded end portions or terminals 20 and 21 being provided with suitable holes 22 to accommodate attaching and retaining screws or the like 24 (FIG. 1). The flat bottom side 26 lends itself to appropriate secure attachment to the support means 6. The customarily exposed and accessible top surface of the plate is primarily planar or flat except for the presence thereon of the component parts, namely, the barrel or sleeve-like sheath 28 and the cord keeper or catch 30. The upper fiat end 32 is spaced downwardly from the attachable top ear or end portion 20 of the plate. The corresponding flat bottom 34 is spaced upwardly from the terminal edge of the bottom ear or end portion 21. The longitudinal bore 36 extends axially through the barrel and opens through the top and bottom surfaces 32 and 34. The expressions upper and lower and back and front are used in relation to the views as they appear on the illustrative but not restrictive drawings. For example, it will be evident that while the bracket8 is shown attached vertically it may be applied horizontally or in any intervening position between the vertical and horizontal. It will be noted that the righthand or outer lengthwise edge 38 of the barrel or sleeve 40 is substantially flush with the corresponding lengthwise edge 42 of the plate. The inward lengthwise edge 44 is in line with the lengthwise central portion of the plate. Mounted in the upper half-portion of the plate and substantially flush with the lefthand lengthwise edge 46 is the aforementioned catch. This catch comprises a simple hook whose shank 48 is integral with the face of the plate and whose bill portion 50 is rounded to provide a cam 52, said cam being spaced from the plate to provide an intervening opening as at 54 in FIG. 4 which facilitates snapping the cooperating portion 55in and out of place. The hook could also be properly identified as a keeper and that with the portion 55 engaged therewith as illustrated in FIG. 1 and with the needle passing through the bore 36 and being sheathed therein, the likelihood of displacement of the needle is reduced to a minimum.

It will be evident that by exerting a suitable force (using one hand only and employing either hand) at the point 54 the cord 55 is readily attachable and detachable. Once the portion 55 is in the seat or keeper portion of the hook-type catch 30 it stays put.- By reversing the procedure, and without releasing the grip on the stringer itself, the attached portion 55 may be released from the hook.

The construction of the holder is such that it lends 3i itself to mass production as a one-piece i em capable of being molded from commercial plastics having proper physical properties, for example, nylon; 7

.It is submitted that the holder ,8 as herein shown ,and describ d will serve the ,putposestfor which it is intended, and using it is thought to be in keeping with the views of the drawings. Therefore, a more extended description is regarded as unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of .the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily .occur .to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to'lirnit the -invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use in conjunction with a conventional-type fish stringer embodying an elongated flexible string with a ring attached to one end and a needle attached to the other-end; a one-piece three-part holder for said stringer comprising: a bracket embodying a plate having readily attachable fastening and retaining means, said plate having a flat front face provided with an integral elongated barrel having an open-ended axial bore and said bore in conjunction with the barrel providing a sheet for removable reception and retention of the afo ementioned needle, and a catch also integrally mounted on said front face .and projecting at right ,angles from the plane thereof and confined to .a position PIOXimal to but spaced slightly below one open end of said bore, said catch having a hooked bill portion and saidbill ,portion being provided with ,a rounded peripheral edge defining a cam, limited surfaces of said cam being spaced from said front face and functioning to permit a portion ofthe string of said stringer to be passed between said front'face and spaced cam and thus releasably engaged with said catch.

2. The vstructure defined in claim 1 and wherein said plate is elongated, theend portions of said barrel -being spaced inwardly from corresponding end portions of said plate, and an outer lengthwise edge portion 'of said barrel being flush with a corresponding lengthwise edge portion of said plate.

3- For use in co junction with a con n o -typ fish stringer embodying an elongated flexible string with a ring attached to one end and a needle attached to its other end; an improved one-piece three-part bracket, one part of said bracket comprising a base plate having flat front and rearv faces, said .plate ibeing elongated and having means at oppositeends whereby said plate may be-csuperimposed upon and attached to astationany supporting surface, a second part comprising an elongated harrelimounted integrally on said .front face and "having one longitudinal side thereof flush with a cooperating longitudinal edge portion of said plate, having a diametrically vopposite side parallel to andspaced from acorresponding portion .of the opposite lengthwise edge of said plate, .the ,respecti-ve ends-of said barrel being spaced inwardly from corresponding end ,portions of said plate and ,the bore of said barrel being open-ended and providing a sheet for removable reception and retention of .said needle, and a third part comprising a catch embodying aalhook having a shank integrally attached to the front face of said plate and projecting therefrom at right angles to the plane of said front face, said shank having a free end portion terminating ina bi-ll, peripheral surfaces .of said bill being rounded'and providing a cam, limited surface portions of said cam being spaced .aminimal distance from said (front face :an permitting said string to be forcibly wedged between said cam and front face and releasably seated and held removably in place by said hook.

4. The structure ,defined in claim 3 and wherein said catch is adjacent to and flush with the second-named 1ongitudinal edge portion of said plate, said bill portion and ,cam being-prorrirnalto but spaced from .one end .of said barrel in a manner to guard against displacement of the needle when the latter has :been sheathed in said bore and the attached end portion of said string ,has been seated retentively in said hook.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED :STATES PATENTS 2,564,389 8/,5-1 'Boehmet a1. s2,588,76-8 3/52 Rosenberg.

O SCHULZ Primary Examiner, 

1. FOR USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH A CONVENTIONAL-TYPE FIRST STRINGER EMBODYING AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE STRING WITH A RING ATTACHED TO ONE END AND A NEEDLE ATTACHED TO THE OTHER END; A ONE-PIECE THREE-PART HOLDER FOR SAID STRINGER COMPRISING: A BRACKET EMBODYING A PLATE HAVING READILY ATTACHABLE FASTENING AND RETAINING MEANS, SAID PLATE HAVING A FLAT FRONT FACE PROVIDED WITHAN INTEGRAL ELONGATED BARREL HAVING AN OPEN-ENDED AXIAL BORE AND SAID BORE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE BARREL PROVIDING A SHEET FOR REMOVABLE RECEPTION AND RETENTION OF THE AFOREMENTIONED NEEDLE, AND A CATCH ALSO INTEGRALLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRONT FACE AND PROJECTING AT RIGHT ANGLES FROM THE PLANE THEREOF AND CONFINED TO POSITION PROXIMAL TO BUT SPACED SLIGHTLY BELOW ONE OPEN END OF SAID BORE, SAID CATCH HAVING A HOOKED BILL PORTION AND SAID BILL PORTION BEING PROVIDED WITH A ROUNDED PERIPHERAL EDGE DEFINING A CAM, LIMITED SURFACES OF SAID CAM BEING SPACED FROM SAID FRONT FRONT FACE AND FUNCTIONING TO PERMIT A PORTION OF THE STRING OF SAID STRINGER TO BE PASSED BETWEEN SAID FRONT FACE AND SPACED CAM AND THUS RELEASABLY ENGAGED WITH SAID CATCH. 